Displaying birds Shetland

Long Tailed Duck look far better in winter plumage, especially the males 

Female LT Ducks

Its time for male dominance and there is a lot of fighting with the raft of females looking on

A couple of Shags having a dispute as well

Purple Sandpipers not just birds of a rocky coast

Oystercatchers are just staring to return to Shetland these two coming in off the sea in the east.

Snow Bunting in Shetland

Its always great to find Snow Bunting and i located a party of 7 birds out on Grutness point, snow buntings are fairly regular visitors to Shetland at this time of year

 Initially they wouldn't allow a close approach and flew off as soon as i came over the brow of a hill

 I had virtually given up on them coming back when i saw the flock flying overhead and coming down about 500m to the west.

 Here they seemed more settled and i waiting until they started moving towards me. The continued to feed and came very close

 It was good to see the variety of plumage

In the last few days the flock has increased to 18 birds

Slav Grebe in the bay

 A flock of 56 Long Tailed Duck

The snow bunting are behind you ! well it is panto season

Very pleased to have been invited to give an illustrated talk on Shetland Migration to the Shetland Field Studies Group in Lerwick on Wednesday 28 November 2018 starting at 7 pm

Iceland gulls

Shetland always attracts a number of white winged gulls in the winter months, usually after Christmas

This year the gulls have come earlier than normal, this weekend 6 Iceland gulls frequented the harbour in Lerwick while a couple could be found over in Scalloway

We didn't come across the Glaucous Gull that had been present for a few days earlier in the week

All the Iceland gulls seemed very approachable. To attract gulls bread was thrown and soon around 50 + gulls gathered. In addition to the Iceland gulls, Herring, Common, BHG, Fulmar and a lone Kittiwake.

Gt BB Gulls didn't seem to bother coming down and just stood on the rocky foreshore.

A few Black Guillemot also came close in, these looked splendid in winter plumage

A flock of 12 Long Tailed duck remained close to the gulls, many displaying and again the looked superb

Joining the LT ducks, a flock of 18 Eider.

Not much else about, only a few scattered Snow Bunting and  a couple of Gt Tit (Rare here)